It appears that ASUS can’t get enough of the 7-inch tablet form factor. Aside from manufacturing Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, it offers its own entry-level ASUS MeMO Pad. Digitimes is reporting that it could unveil a third model, called the Fonepad (not to be confused with the Padfone which is also the topic of recent rumours), at MWC 2013.

Unlike most other 7-inch tablets, the ASUS Fonepad would support 3G connectivity (voice and data), GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Other specifications include an Intel Atom Z242 processor,a 7-inch WXGA (1280×800) IPS display, 1GB RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, and a 3MP camera. Most intriguing is the suggestion that it will have voice capabilities. Perhaps it will come with a Bluetooth headset as holding up a tablet to your head is nothing if not cumbersome.

The ASUS Fonepad will reportedly be priced in the US$300 range. ASUS would presumably focus on its voice capabilities to distinguish it from similarly-priced tablets (including the 3G version of the Google Nexus 7) but its lower processor and display specs may work against it.

We should know more at MWC 2013 should the ASUS Fonepad turn out to be real.

Jerome Skalnik

Jerome is Gadgetorama's founder and Editor.
His interest in mobile devices goes back to the Compaq PC Companion C120 and there has not been a time since that he has not had a mobile device (or more) on him.